by Sherri Bonis

Created on: June 23, 2009

Paying Tabloids To Go Too Far

It's easy to blame tabloids for taking things to the extreme in order to "get the story" or "the money shot" but the truth is, we are to blame. Everyday people who buy into the rag mags and watch gossip T.V. programs are fueling the roaring out of control firestorm of paparazzi mayhem. If we didn't want to pay for the information, tabloids wouldn't go to extremes to chase the almighty dollar. If risking their lives didn't pay so well, tabloid reporters wouldn't bother.

We seem to forget (and sometimes they do too) that stars are just people. They have insecurities, secrets, families and issues just like the rest of us. The only difference is every move they make is plastered on the covers of magazines, broadcast on television, and blasted all over the Internet. Sometimes things are blown out of proportion for the sake of getting a story or in order to sell a paper. Lives can be ruined, reputations can be destroyed and tabloids chuckle all the way to the bank.

Stardom is something that ordinary people look to almost instinctively. When someone is beautiful, we stare. When someone is a great singer, we flock to listen. When someone is a great actor, we pay to watch them again and again. Multiply that by a thousand and soon these once ordinary people are being idolized and criticized just for doing what they do best. And while we love to see a star rise...we also love to watch them fall. It makes us feel superior to witness someone else's misfortune. The sad part is, we'll pay to see them suffer.

We live in a world that disregards people's right to privacy, especially if you're a celebrity. The idea of "you'd be nothing without your fans" leads some to believe that those same fans should have access to every aspect of their favorite star's life. Photogs fight for the perfect shot because that is how they make their money. Wouldn't you hop a security fence or chase down a hip-hop star for $100,000 ?

Imagine your own life for a minute. What if your divorce was published in color on the front of a magazine or if a tragedy in your family was being filmed without your consent for others to enjoy. What if someone was sneaking around your home at night to take pictures of your kids? What could you do to protect yourself and your family when there are no limits to what a determined photog will do?

We are all guilty of it. We look to celebrities to entertain us and to distract us from our ordinary lives. Their lives are so publicized that we become callused to the fact that their privacy is being invaded on a constant basis for our amusement. Stardom is no longer just your name in lights, it's your life on display 24-7, whether you like it or not.

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